Community Trainings & Events Calendar

Tech Networks of Boston (also known as TNB) is pleased to invite board chairs, chief executive officers, and other executive level staff members at nonprofit organizations to a Roundtable session on nonprofit collaborations and mergers from the point of view of an attorney who specializes in serving nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. Our featured guest will be Jeffrey Hurwit of Hurwit & Associates.

Here’s what Jeff has to say about this TNB Roundtable session:

With careful planning, the right type of affiliation or even the right type of merger with another organization creates efficiencies and synergies that benefit both the bottom-line and the mission of the organization. However, entering a collaborative relationship with another nonprofit organization can be complicated, daunting, and stressful. In this session we will:

Look at the range of various affiliations, from contractual relationships to full mergers.

Discuss multiple factors (legal, financial, governance, and practical) to be assessed and balanced in arriving at a workable partnership.

Consider challenges and obstacles that commonly arise in sidetracking agreements between organizations.

Jeff will first provide a brief overview of these topics and then open the floor to discussion of the issues and questions that are of most interest and relevance to your organizations.

Here’s a bit more about Jeff:

As a leading expert in nonprofit law, Jeffrey Hurwit represents tax-exempt organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad. Jeff’s practice focuses on nonprofit regulation, governance, and operations. He has particular expertise in nonprofit organizational structures and business models, partnerships and affiliations, and cross-border organizational relationships. Jeff is a frequent speaker on cutting edge issues such as governance and mergers. His firm represents over 700 tax-exempt organizations in a wide range of program areas including education, health care, human services, environmental preservation, arts and culture, advocacy, and philanthropy. He formerly served as Assistant Attorney General in the Massachusetts Division of Public Charities and as staff attorney for WGBH Educational Foundation.

Please note:

1) Disclaimer: the information contained in this presentation is intended solely for educational purposes, and is not legal advice or applicable in all jurisdictions or specific circumstances.

2) In keeping with the spirit of the TNB Roundtable series, this session will NOT be a sales pitch for any product or service. This will be a professional development opportunity for nonprofit professionals who want to learn with and from their peers in other organizations.

3) This session is for employees of nonprofit organizations. It is not designed to meet the needs of vendors, volunteers, students, consultants, job-seekers, and others.

4) Priority in registration will be given to those who are employed by nonprofit organizations that hold full membership in the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network.

5) Participation in this session is free of charge for nonprofit professionals. However, you must have a confirmed reservation in order to attend.

6) If this session is booked to capacity by the time you seek to register for it, please go ahead and put yourself on the waiting list. We have a good track record of finding seats for nonprofit professionals on the waiting list.

We hope that you can join us for a vigorous and informative conversation, in which you will be welcome to share your knowledge and experience with your peers.

D-tree International and Tech Networks of Boston are pleased to invite nonprofit professionals to a Roundtable session on mobile technology for nonprofits. The special focus will be on one nonprofit organization’s success in using mobile technology to support its global health mission. Our featured guest will be Steve Ollis, the chief operating officer of D-tree International.

Here’s what Steve has to say about this TNB Roundtable session:

“Learn about how D-tree International leverages the power of mobile technology by creating mobile health applications that are used by frontline health workers in Tanzania and Malawi. I will provide a demo of our mobile health apps, and discuss how they are being used to save lives. I will also lead a dialogue about how other organizations can leverage mobile technologies to achieve their mission. You can learn more about our work at D-tree.org, and connect with us on Twitter at @DtreeInt.”

Here’s a bit more about Steve:

Steve Ollis is D-tree’s chief operating officer, and has over 20 years of experience in management consulting, information technology, and public health. Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the American University and a master’s degree in business administration in information systems and finance from the University of Maryland. He is also a certified project management professional. Prior to joining D-tree, Steve worked for the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative in Tanzania, directing programs in pediatrics, prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV, and rural care and treatment.

Please note:

1) In keeping with the spirit of the TNB Roundtable series, this session will NOT be a sales pitch for any product or service. This will be a professional development opportunity for nonprofit professionals who want to learn with and from their peers in other organizations.

2) This session is for employees of nonprofit organizations. It is not designed to meet the needs of vendors, volunteers, students, consultants, job-seekers, and others.

3) Priority in registration will be given to those who are employed by nonprofit organizations that hold full membership in the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network.

4) Participation in this session is free of charge for nonprofit professionals. However, you must have a confirmed reservation in order to attend.

5) If this session is booked to capacity by the time you seek to register for it, please go ahead and put yourself on the waiting list. We have a good track record of finding seats for nonprofit professionals on the waiting list.

We hope that you can join us for a vigorous and informative conversation, in which you will be welcome to share your knowledge and experience with your peers.

A 2-hour, interactive seminar led by a tax-exempt organization specialist. The agenda includes: Role of the Board, Director Duties, Board Composition, Board Procedures, Policies, Other Compliance Issues and Director Liability.

Presenters: Maura Murphy, Rackemann, Sawyer & Brewster

Agenda: 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m., Breakfast and Networking; 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., Presentation

A buffet of pastries, fruit, juices, coffee and tea will be available.

This seminar is a joint project of the Lawyers Clearinghouse and Boston Private.

A 2-hour, interactive seminar led by a tax-exempt organization specialist. The agenda includes: Role of the Board, Director Duties, Board Composition, Board Procedures, Policies, Other Compliance Issues and Director Liability.

Presenters: Maura Murphy, Rackemann, Sawyer & Brewster

Agenda: 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m., Breakfast and Networking; 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., Presentation

A buffet of pastries, fruit, juices, coffee and tea will be available.

This seminar is a joint project of the Lawyers Clearinghouse and Boston Private.

Please RSVP by October 20.

Krokidas & Bluestein is pleased to offer this free webinar in order to provide important information to our clients and friends.

Communicating electronically has become standard operating procedure in business transactions. Employees and agents routinely use email and text messages in conducting business, and Massachusetts law has increasingly recognized electronic signatures and records as enforceable. While the use of these technologies is often convenient and cost effective, there is a substantial risk that informal communications can be legally binding.

During this short webinar, attorneys Sheryl Howard and Jason Curtin of Krokidas & Bluestein will provide:
An overview of Massachusetts law on electronic signatures;
Tips and strategies to ensure that you are not unintentionally bound to a contract.

An open Q&A period will also allow Sheryl and Jason to respond to your questions in real-time.

Third Sector New England (TSNE) and Tech Networks of Boston (TNB) are pleased to invite nonprofit professionals to a Super Roundtable with Nicole Shiner of United Way and Jamie Kleinsorge of the Institute for People, Place, and Possibility. The setting will be the at the Boston NonProfit Center, and the topic will be using CommunityCommons.Org as a tool to support nonprofit grant writing, advocacy, and program development. CommunityCommons.Org is a free online resource.

Here’s what Nicole and Jamie say about this session:

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Access to reliable, meaningful data can boost a grant application, help design better programs, assist in advocacy efforts, and augment evaluation efforts. CommunityCommons.Org maps and reports are easy to use and can be tailored to meet your needs. Maps and reports can be made at a variety of geographies (county, service area, region, school district or legislative district) and with over 10,000 data layers, the possibilities are endless.

A few examples of how nonprofits use CommunityCommons.Org in their day to day workflow:

– To identify populations of greatest need – looking at areas with high poverty, low educational attainment, and low access to resources like health services, fresh fruits and vegetables, and educational opportunities.

– To identify populations to serve with a new or existing program – looking for concentrations of specific races, ethnicity, seniors, low-income, individuals with disabilities, etc.

– To get data for a grant application – answer questions like, “how many people live in your service area? how many seniors live in your service area? what is the average income in your service area? how many people live below 200% of poverty? how do you know access to dental care/mental health services/etc. is a problem in your area?”

– To identify gaps in service and make the case for more types of services in an area. Mapping the number of teen suicides and number of treatment facilities in a given legislative district provides organizations with a targeted map they can take to decision makers to make a case for improved or enhanced services.

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We hope that you can join us for a vigorous and informative conversation, in which you will be welcome to share your knowledge and experience with your peers.

Having regular and consistent donors making regular gifts to your organization – it’s the dream of every nonprofit! Getting to that point takes thoughtful relationship-building, donor-centered education, and continual communication. In other words, it’s a lot of work! In this workshop we’ll explore the motivation, interests, and needs of a variety of donors, with tips on ways to invite them in, build philanthropy partnerships, and encourage them to give even more.

AGENDA

Considering an Individual Gifts Strategy
What Donors are looking for
Relationships and Philanthropy
Mission, Vision and Values
Stewardship: Key to continued relationships
Questions, Summary and close

Building and managing a major donor pipeline is a deliberate and thoughtful process. The session focuses on relationship science and rapport building techniques, tactical strategies to rapidly build your major donor pipeline, and tools to measure and manage donor relationships and progress toward giving. This session will provide useful techniques, tools, and strategies that will help participants rapidly build a major donor program.

In addition, this session will demonstrate techniques to more accurately scope and determine the size of a successful major gift ask. We will discuss a series of qualitative and quantitative questions designed to capture key intelligence about a potential donor. Preparing for a conversation with an individual who has the ability to make a significant gift to your organization requires extensive preparation. An essential component of this is feeling confident – about the basis for the gift amount being requested.

Tech Networks of Boston exists to provide nonprofit organizations with integrated technology services. It’s also our privilege to offer you professional development opportunities that are both free of charge and free of sales pitches.

We’re pleased to invite you to a TNB Roundtable session on October 25th about “Capturing Data and Learnings from a Network of Nonprofits.” Our featured guests will be Jennifer Lowe and Gianna Gambardella of Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath).

Here is what Gianna and Jennifer say about this session:

“EMPath manages a learning network, the Economic Mobility Exchange, comprised of over seventy nonprofit organizations and government agencies learning together about EMPath’s coaching model and tools designed to support families and individuals move out of poverty. EMPath takes an ‘open source’ inspired approach to the model, encouraging network members to iterate and improve the model within their own programs and communities, and share back with others. Within the network, there is an amazing wealth of experience, innovative applications of the model and evolutions of the tools, as well as outcomes data collected by each member organization. With a quickly growing network, EMPath’s challenge was to determine how to effectively document, make sense of, and disseminate the critical learnings happening within the network? This session will demonstrate the various ways in which EMPath collects and shares back this information and data with members to facilitate ongoing discussion and model evolution.”

Please note that you will need a confirmed registration in order to attend. To find more information, or to register, please follow this link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tnb-roundtable-capturing-data-and-learnings-from-a-network-of-nonprofits-registration-38155797016?aff=mnn

If this session is booked to capacity by the time you seek to register for it, please go ahead and put yourself on the waiting list. We have a good track record of finding seats for nonprofit professionals on the waiting list.

We hope that you can join us for a vigorous and informative conversation, in which you will be welcome to share your knowledge and experience with your peers!

Does your nonprofit engage in charitable programs overseas? Support foreign charitable activities with US funds? Two tax-exempt organization law experts will lead a seminar on direct charitable activities by U.S. charitable organizations and supporting foreign charitable activities with U.S. funds. The topics to be covered include: possible organizational structures; local issues to consider; charitable contributions to foreign organizations by Individuals; “Friends of” organizations; grants to foreign organizations by public charities; Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC); and banking and financing Issues.

Presenters: Susan Abbott, Goodwin Procter LLP; Peter Katz, Harvard University

Please register by November 6.

Tech Networks of Boston (TNB) is pleased to invite nonprofit professionals to a Roundtable session about why and how nonprofit organizations build political power. Our featured guests will be Jordan Berg Powers of Mass Alliance and Lisette Le of Massachusetts Voter Table.

Many nonprofit organizations that have historically been devoted to direct services to individuals, families, and communities are now becoming aware that they can play a role to advocate and influence public policy. Some of them are extremely concerned that key decisions are actually being made when lawmakers are voted into office, and are looking to understand what they can and cannot do to voice and take action about these concerns. In this session, nonprofit professionals will learn about strategies to influence public policy and ways to engage members/constituents in electoral campaigns, while complying with 501c3 IRS statutes.

Please note:

In keeping with the spirit of the TNB Roundtable series, this session will NOT be a sales pitch for any product or service. This will be a professional development opportunity for nonprofit professionals who want to learn with and from their peers in other organizations.

Participation in this session is free of charge for nonprofit professionals. However, you must have a confirmed registration in order to attend.

To find more information about this session, or to register for it, please follow this link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tnb-roundtable-why-and-how-nonprofits-build-political-power-registration-39780850595?aff=mnn

If this session is booked to capacity by the time you seek to register for it, please go ahead and put yourself on the waiting list. We have a good track record of finding seats for nonprofit professionals on the waiting list.

Does your nonprofit have an anti-harassment policy in place that clearly identifies unacceptable conduct? If so, when did you last update it? And has it effectively deterred bad behavior and protected your employees? Come and join our consultation program on this timely topic. The law firm of Seyfarth Shaw LLP will lead a discussion on topics including legal compliance, practical issues facing nonprofits, and best practices. Following this program, pro bono attorneys will meet with preselected attendees to review their existing anti-harassment policies.

Presenters: Daniel Klein, Cindy Westervelt, Kelsey Montgomery, and Molly Mooney of Seyfarth Shaw LLP.

Pro Bono Attorneys for Individual Consultation on Anti-Harassment Policies:
Attorneys from Seyfarth Shaw and in-house counsel from area corporations

Agenda:
9:00 a.m. – 9:20 a.m. Registration and meet and greet
9:20 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Welcome remarks
9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Training: Are Your Organization’s Anti-Harassment Policies Up-to-Date and Do They Effectively Combat Harassment?
10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Consultation with Pro Bono Attorneys

Please note that registration is required and space is limited for the policy review and Consultation Session. In order to be part of the Consultation Session, a conflicts check will have to be cleared by the participating law firm.

This program is a project of Lawyers Clearinghouse with pro bono support from Seyfarth Shaw LLP.

AAFCPAs will provide an overview of new Revenue Recognition standards for Nonprofit Organizations. Attendees will gain an understanding of how the new standards could impact revenue recognition and company policies, and what they should be doing now to prepare for adoption.

Do you want to build your ability to ask donors for support?

In this lively three-hour workshop, you will learn the principles behind donor-centered and relationship-based cultivation and stewardship – and how to reach out to your donors to more fully engage them in the life of your organization.

A successful fundraising program is as much about knowing your donors as it is about achieving financial goals. During the workshop, you will learn to build relationships with donors in meaningful ways by developing your authentic curiosity and “fundraising listening” skills to help match your mission with your donors’ philanthropic goals. As part of your practice, you will build a multi-step donor cultivation and stewardship plan using real donors to your organization.

Highly rated and dynamic trainer, Jenn Hayslett, combines her years of leadership experience as a fundraiser in small and mid-sized non-profits with brain-science research on best practices. She will lead you through hands-on activities designed to decrease anxiety and increase your confidence by practicing skills that are needed to involve your donors.

This workshop is designed for those who are relatively new to donor cultivation, as well those with a few years of experience.

Presenter
Jenn Hayslett, principal at Jenn Hayslett Coaching and Consulting, brings 25 years of leadership experience as a successful fundraiser, manager, facilitator and trainer to her work as a coach and non-profit consultant. Jenn has direct experience in all areas of fundraising and marketing for small to mid-sized non-profits including design and management of annual operations fundraising, major gift solicitation and stewardship, capital campaign organization and management, grant writing, marketing, community organizing, and volunteer management. Her specialty is in supporting board members and staff in building and improving relationship-based fund development programs.

Jenn’s engaging presentation style has made her a highly-rated trainer and presenter at Third Sector New England, MissionWorks where she created Aim, Ask, Achieve a 6-month intensive training program. Jenn received her coach training through Coaches Training Institute (CTI) and her certification as a trainer, facilitator and consultant through the Center for New Leadership at Marlboro College. Jenn works with non-profits and individuals to clarify purpose, establish goals, and design systems to stay on course and achieve outcomes.

Join us for a panel presentation on cultivation and stewardship strategies for your mid-level and leadership-level annual donors. Learn how this constituency is critical to your major giving, and how to move them up the pipeline. Whether you are a team of 1 or a team of 200, learn the common threads of cultivation strategy and hear unique perspectives and success stories from seasoned fundraisers!
Anticipated takeaways:

Developing a strategy to deepen your partnerships
Personalizing your approach to meet individual donor needs and interests
Partnering with your major gifts and campaign colleagues to strategically steward

Audience/Target Market: All development professionals who are responsible for establishing and enhancing relationships with mid-to-major annual donors. This event is designed for the large shop with focused frontline staff, as well as small-to-medium shops where you’re doing it all!

Speakers:
Kaja Fickes, Director of Major Annual Giving, WGBH
Alison LaRosa Montez, Associate Director of Donor Relations, Tufts University School of Medicine
Christine Murphy, Director of Donor Relations, The Salvation Army of Massachusetts

This introductory workshop will start participants on the road to finding appropriate prospective grantmakers for their organizations.

The program begins with a quick overview of how to make sure your organization is “grant ready” so that when you start your research and find prospective funders, your organization is poised to make a strong impression.

We will review helpful resources for locating funding opportunities and learn how to determine if your organization’s work aligns with the funding priorities of a potential grantmaker.

We’ll cover:

– where you can locate Requests for Proposals (RFPs)
– resources for finding corporate donors
– how to find contributors to your peer organizations
– Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) and what they are
– a little bit about individual donor cultivation
And more!

Sprinkled throughout will be some takeaways and tips we have collected over the years from foundation program officers, about how to strengthen the odds of receiving a grant.

The resources available at the Essex County Community Foundation will also be covered.

In the last 30 minutes of the session we will demonstrate how to use the Foundation Directory Online and run a few trial searches.

This program is recommended for those who are new to grantseeking.

Nonprofit organizations often seek grant support but fall short in receiving an award. Competition for grants continue to grow as government funding dwindles. Learn how to present your case for support no matter the type or size of grant you are requesting. This session will sharpen your grant-seeking skills by making your proposal more competitive.

From logic models to making your case for support using 2,000 or less characters, this workshop will help you prepare successful paper and paperless proposal narratives including those to the different levels of government. There will be a discussion on the use of Gantt and PERT charts and other visual aids to help reviewers quickly understand the intent of your proposed project. You will also learn techniques to use when preparing proposals to obtain grants for capacity-building projects and capital campaigns.

The intended learning goals are as follows:

– Understand the current giving trends of foundations, corporations, and government agencies
– Analyze request for proposals (RFPs) to determine a fit with your proposed project
– Prepare reviewer friendly proposals
– Formulate strategies to develop proposals for special projects, capacity-building efforts, and capital campaigns
– Learn techniques to apply for a multi-year or million-dollar grant

This workshop provides learning opportunities for intermediate to advanced (10+ years) grant seekers. The ideal participants will be those with two or more years of experience preparing grant proposals who have an understanding how to develop a strong needs statement, goals and outcomes, evaluation strategies, and the budget and justification for the project/program they propose.

Presenter
Diane Gedeon-Martin is a nationally recognized grants consultant, instructor, and lecturer in the area of grants and grant seeking for nonprofit organizations. For more than 25 years, she has trained over 20,000 people through her grant-seeking workshops and conference sessions. Her dedication to the field is evident in the way she speaks about the grant seeking process; her enthusiasm is contagious!

For 13 years, she was a member of the faculty of the former Connecticut Association of Nonprofits (CT Nonprofits, now renamed The Alliance after a merger) where she conducted several grant-seeking workshops annually including the popular two-day, semi-annual Grant Proposal Certificate Series. In 2015, she retired from the her position as an adjunct faculty member of The Fund Raising School (TFRS) at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University where she not only taught for 14 years but also co-developed the curriculum for the Preparing Successful Grant Proposals course.

Diane is a certified Master Trainer through the Faculty Training Academy of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International. She is a frequent presenter at regional, national, and international conferences including six consecutive AFP International Conferences, an AFP International Audioconference, and several Grant Professionals Association (GPA) regional and national conferences. In 2017, she was the keynote speaker at the New England (NE) GPA regional conference.